A Shinning Star
by Merton Lynn
Summary: UPDATED!!!(sequel to Why Am I Here?) Phoenix is on the journey with Legolas, Strider and Gimli on the search for Merry and Pip. (Chapter 3 and 4 reposted) I know its been a while since the first; still review!
1. A New Hope

Yes…I'm finally updating! I just saw "The Two Towers" (GREAT movie by the way. Lots of Pippin) so I promised you all I would update this story when I saw the movie and that's what I'm doing! Some of it will go by the movie and some of it will go by the book (the movie changed some and took out some of the good stuff from the book) okay. Now I'm babbling. So just read, enjoy and please review! Y'all were so good to me with "Why Am I Here?"…I love you guys! Hehehehe.

Chapter Two

            The band of Uruk-Hai trampled through the open land, two of them carrying Merry and Pippin on their backs. Pippin looked around at his surroundings. The Uruk-Hai that carried Merry was running along side Pippin's Uruk-Hai. "Merry!" he called out but Merry was barley conscious. "Merry!" he tried again.

            The head Uruk-Hai stopped, as did the rest. "What do you smell?" an Orc asked.

            "Man flesh," it replied.

            "Aragorn," Pippin whispered. 

            "Keep moving!" the Uruk-Hai ordered. They started again. 

            Pippin looked down. Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Phoenix, had to find the trail again. An idea popped into his head. A brilliant idea. He pressed his chin to his chest and started to bite at the Elven broach from Lothlorien. He nipped and chewed at it until it loosened from his cloak. He held it in his mouth for a moment then spit it out onto the ground.

*                                              *                                              *

            Her muscles were sore and her lungs ached for air. They were close to the Uruk-Hai or at least that's what Legolas had been telling. They had been running almost nonstop for the last two days.

            Strider and Legolas ran ahead searching for signs of the Orcs and Uruk-Hai. Phoenix didn't feel so bad for lagging in the back. Gimli was faring worse than she. At least she was only a few paces behind the man and elf.

            Strider pressed his ear to one of the rocks. He could hear the Uruk-Hai running at a fast pace. "They have caught our sent. Let us move on." He and Legolas began running again. Phoenix sighed and went after them. Gimli huffed behind her. She held onto the sword that was in a belt she made for herself.

            Gimli huffed and puffed about something about dwarfs not being able to run or something of the sort. Phoenix wasn't really paying attention. Her only focus was trying to find a sign that Pippin and Merry were still alive.

            She paused for a moment, crouching to the ground. She wasn't used to running this much especially in her Hobbit body. Even as a human she didn't think she could have ran this much.

            She looked at the horizon in front of her. Strider and Legolas were still jogging; Legolas a head of Strider. Phoenix looked down at the ground. They were standing in the path of footprints left by the Uruk-Hai and Orcs. Something under the brown, ripped grass caught her eye. She brushed the grass away and saw the green leaf shaped broach. She felt her stomach fill with butterflies. "Strider!" she yelled. Strider and Legolas stopped. "Strider!" she stood up and ran to him. 

            "What is it Phoenix?" 

            "Look!" she handed him the broach. He observed it carefully.

            "Not would someone be so careless with a gift from Lothlorien. Where did you find this?"

            "Back there," she pointed. "It had been trampled on by the Uruk-Hai."

            "They aren't very far a head of us. Only half a day,"

            "There is hope then?" she asked.

            "There has always been hope," he assured, placing his hand on her shoulder. "We will find them. Let us go." He began to walk towards Legolas but stopped. "Maybe you should hold onto this." He tossed her the broach. She smiled.

            "Come on Gimli!" she yelled happily. She had a new found strength and caught up with Legolas and Strider. 


	2. I'm Sorry

A/N: Well it's my new story, the sequel to "Why Am I Here?". I was originally gonna wait until I either saw "The Two Towers" or read the book, but oh well I decided to start it now, so its not going to go with the book. LOL. Well read and review. Thanks! Chapter One 

            One of the lackey Orcs dragged Pippin and Merry to a tree, tying their bodies to it. Pippin on one side, Merry on the other.          

Pippin leaned against the tree after the Orcs had stopped for the night. The ropes around his wrists were tied tightly and cutting off the circulation to his hands. He tried to rotate them but it didn't work. An Orc walked by him and tossed a slice of bread on the ground then continued to the campfire. Pippin scrambled to grab the bread but it was just out of his reach. 

            "Merry?"

            "What?" Merry replied slightly annoyed. 

            "I…um…I'm sorry for hitting you," Pippin solemnly apologized. 

            "And I'm sorry for saying that she's never love you.  She clearly does,"

            "I miss her," 

            "She probably misses you too," Merry said.

            "Silence!" one of the Orcs yelled as he threw a stick at the tree.

            "I suppose talking right now wouldn't be wise," Pippin stated.

            "No…" Merry answered. "Did they give you anything to eat?"

            "Yes…but I can't really reach it,"

            "Here, you can have mine," Merry scooted his small slice of bread over to Pippin's side.

            "No…I can't take your food-"

            "Don't argue and just take it, I'm not hungry," Merry insisted and then shifted himself back to not facing Pippin. 

            Pippin took the bread and nibbled on it but his thoughts couldn't leave Merry or Phoenix.

*                                              *                                              *

            Phoenix sat on the ground next to the fire, running her fingers over the scarf. It was the only thing she had left of Pippin now. She looked up at the sky. The stars were shinning brightly and a single cloud wisped by.

            "We will find them soon," Legolas told her.

            "I know," she replied not looking up from the scarf. 

            "Are you hungry?"

            "No, but thank you," 

            "Okay," Legolas turned from her and back to the fire.

            "I promise I'll find you," she said quietly. "I promise."****

**A/N: Okay short and kinda sappy but it's a start. Look for the next chapter soon.**


	3. How Could You Not See the Difference?

Chapter Three 

The Uruk-Hai dropped Merry and Pippin to the ground. "Start a fire!" one of them yelled.

            Pippin crawled over to Merry. He had a gash on his forehead and his eyes were mere slits. "Merry?"

            "I think…we made a mistake in leaving…the Shire," he managed to spill out. Pippin gave a comforting smile. An Orc picked up the two and walked closer to the head Uruk-Hai. He dropped them to their stomachs. Merry was now more a ware of his surroundings. 

            Pippin heard a low moaning as the Orcs started cutting on the trees. "What's making that noise?" he asked.

            Merry looked behind Pippin. "The trees…"

            "What?"

            "Remember the Old Forest? Outside of Buckland? My father used to say there was something there that…that made the trees move. Made them come alive…even walk…"

            "Silence!" an Uruk-Hai yelled, kicking Pippin in the ribs. Pippin rolled over in pain. 

            "Are you-"

            "Fine," Pippin coughed out. 

            "All we've 'ad to eat for the last three days is molded bread!" an angry Orc yelled.  "No meat! Why can't we just eat one of 'em?" he pointed to the hobbits.

            "They are not for meat," an Uruk-Hai told.

            "What about just one of their legs…" the Orc asked. "They don't need their legs…"

            Merry and Pippin looked at their legs then up at the argument. The Uruk-Hai chopped the Orc's head off. The hobbits gasped in shock.

            "Meat is back on the menu!" the Uruk-Hai and Orcs began rummaging the body.

            "Come on," Merry nudged Pippin. They started to crawl away towards the open fields.

            An Orc saw and pounced on Pippin. "They'll never notice…" he said. He grabbed Pippin's face. Pippin's eyes grew wide and he tried to scream. "That's right…scream…no one will hear you…" He lifted a knife above his head, getting ready to bring it down. _This is it._ Pippin thought. Suddenly an arrow pierced his chest and he fell back.

            Merry and Pippin continued to crawl just as a group of men on horseback started to attack the camp. Orcs and Uruk-Hai fell to the ground like dropping flies. Pippin stumbled upon an axe that was embedded in the ground. He placed his wrists above it and quickly cut the ropes. "Merry!" Merry looked back and did the same with his restraints. The untied the ropes around their ankles and began to run through the battle.

            The ducked underneath a few horses, almost getting stepped on. Pippin tripped on a rock in front of a horse. It reared up. Pippin let out a scream of horror before rolling away. He crawled after Merry then stood to run. They made it further into the dark forest…that once they were there looked like a mistake.

            "Did we loose them?" Pippin asked looking around. "I think we lost them."

            "I think so," Merry replied, taking in a sigh of relief. 

            "Run!" Merry lifted Pippin up and they ran through the woods. The ducked behind a large tree. The Orc was not far behind. "The tree…Pippin the tree. Climb it!"          

            Without hesitation they began to climb the tree. Pippin stopped when he was able to rest a foot on a steady branch. "I think we did it." As the words left his mouth the Orc grabbed Merry's leg and dragged him to the ground. "Merry!" Pippin looked away from the tree trunk just as its eyes were opening. He froze and looked back. The tree had eyes! He panicked and fell backwards. A large branch like hand caught him and tightly squeezed around him.

            The Orc lingered over Merry raising a large sword above his head. The tree's roots lifted from the ground and it began walking. It stepped on the Orc, killing it instantly. Merry stumbled to his feet and looked up in dread at the tree carrying his younger cousin. "Forget me! Run Merry!" Merry began to run but the tree bent down and took Merry into its grasp.

            "Little Orcs…" The tree said looking at the Hobbits in his hands.

            "Its talking…Merry, the tree is talking," Pippin said in fear.

            "I am not a tree," the 'tree' said. "I am an Ent."

            "A tree herder," Merry smiled in awe.

            "Don't encourage it!" Pippin scolded.

            "Some call me Treebeard…" the tree said.

            "So…whose…side are you on?" Pippin asked.

            "Side? I am on no side, because no one is on my side,"

            "Well that's good right?"

            "What are little Orcs doing in the forest?" Treebeard continued to walk through the dark forest.

            "We're not Orcs! We're hobbits," Merry explained.

            "Never heard of a Hobbit…" Treebeard spoke very slowly. "This sounds like an Orc trick…spies…Orcs come in here with their fire and axes…they don't care…" his grip tightened around Merry and Pippin, crushing their tiny bodies. 

            "But we're Hobbits! Halflings…Shire folk!" Merry tried to pry his way out of the hand.

            "Maybe you are…and maybe…you are not…that is for the white wizard to decide…"

            "The white wizard…" Merry said to himself. "Saruman."

            Suddenly Treebeard dropped the Hobbits in front of a man dressed in white. 

*                                              *                                              *

            Strider, Phoenix, and Legolas stood on a rock overlooking the land. Gimli panted behind as he reached the rock. They saw a group of creatures on horseback coming towards them.

            "Down here," Strider said. The four hid in between the two rocks. As the riders went by Strider seemed to recognize them. He stepped out. "Riders of Rohan!" the riders turned and surrounded the four.

            A blond man rider approached the group. "What business does a Man, an Elf, a woman and a Dwarf have in the Riddermark? Speak quickly."

            "Tell me your name and I shall tell you mine," Gimli said haughty, leaning on his axe.

            The blond man jumped down from his horse and walked to Gimli, standing nose to chest. "I would cut off your head, beard and all, Master Dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground."

            Legolas drew his bow and pointed it directly at the blond man's face. "You would die before your stroke fell."

            The Riders of Rohan all pointed their spears and other weapons at the four. "Wait." Strider said. He pushed Legolas's bow down. "We are friends of the King."

            "The king does not recognize friend from foe anymore," the blond man replied. "Not even his own kin. He has been poisoned by Saruman…the white wizard is cunning." He took off his helmet. "I am Eomer."

            "I am Aragorn son of Arathorn, this is Gimli son of Goloin, Legolas of Mirkwood and Phoenix, daughter of the Shire. We track a band of Uruk-Hai who have captured two friends of ours,"

            "We found a band of them last night,"

            "Hobbits!" Gimli spoke. "Did ya see two Hobbits with them?"

            "They would be like children to you," Strider said. "The same height as she." He pointed to Phoenix.

            "We came across a band of them last night. We left none alive," Eomer said.

            "What?" Phoenix breathed out.

            "We burned their carcasses," Eomer finished.

            "Dead?" Strider stated, both in shock and as an observation.

            "Over there," Eomer pointed to the distance where smoke was rising.

            "Dead," Phoenix said quietly. "Dead?! They were Hobbits! _Hobbits_! Like me! Not Orcs or Uruk-Hai! HOBBITS! _HOBBITS_! Not…How can you not tell the difference?! How could you kill them with out even…even thinking!? Did they look like a threat to you!? Two…two harmless…little Hobbits! And…Pippin…How…you stupid son of a-" Legolas grasped her shoulder cutting her off. Tears spilled down her face.

            "You may look for your friends but do trust hope. Hope is gone in this land. I am sorry…" two horses approached. "Take these horses. You fair much better than their last owners." 

            The Riders of Rohan rode off to the distance leaving the Man, Elf, Dwarf and Hobbit.

            Phoenix held tightly to Pippin's scarf. "Please…" she begged. 

            "Come…we shall…we shall check the…pile," Legolas painstakingly said. He didn't know if that would help her or not. Probably not. 

            She held to the scarf so tightly that her knuckles turned white. They approached the burning bodies. The first thing they saw was an Uruk-Hai head on a stake.


	4. The Stench of Death and the White Wizard

Chapter Four 

            The wind blew the stench of death and burning flesh to the on coming four. Phoenix couldn't bear to look up with the fear she would see Pippin's dead body lying in the pile of dead Orcs and Uruk-Hai. 

            Gimli bent down and picked up a leather strap. "Tis…very small…"

            "No…" Phoenix uttered.

            Legolas, Gimli and Strider looked at the pile. Phoenix refused to look up. "Why couldn't they have checked?" she asked. "Why did they just kill everything in their path?" she looked up at the pile. More tears were cutting their way down her face. Strider was kneeling on the ground.   

"A Hobbit lay here," Strider said suddenly.

            "What?" Phoenix looked down from the sky. "Did you say…"

            "And rolled over," Strider traced the ground with his hand. "Crawled…" he stood. "Tracks…one got grabbed here." He pointed to the ground. "The belt…" he followed the tracks. "They ran…into the woods."

            "He's alive?"

            "With hope," Legolas said. Phoenix began to run for the dark forest. "Phoenix wait!" Legolas caught up. "Where are you going?"

            "To find him? Aren't you coming?"

            "You're heart is strong young Hobbit," Gimli said as he and Strider walked towards Phoenix and Legolas.

            "But you must be careful when entering Fangorn Forest," Legolas said. They walked into he darkening forest. 

            Being in the forest was unnerving. Phoenix hand her hand on the sword from the second she stepped in the woods. The trees were extremely large and covered with much moss and many vines.

            "These woods are very old," Legolas said, observing his surroundings. "Full of memory…anger…" the group heard low whispering. "The trees are talking to each other." 

            Strider stood atop a rock a little ways from Legolas. Legolas said something in Elvish as he approached. He and Strider spoke the unknown language for a moment. Phoenix realized that was the language was the same that was on the rock that transported her to Middle Earth.

            "The White Wizard approaches," Legolas said with darkness in his voice.

            "We must act quickly, do not let him speak, we do not want to be put under the spell," Strider grabbed his sword. Gimli took hold of his axe, Legolas positioned his bow and Phoenix slowly began to draw her sword. Strider nodded and the four turned around raising their weapons. 

            A great white light appeared. Gimli's axe fell to the ground. Legolas's arrow bounced off some sort of shield. Strider and Phoenix's swords burned in their hands, causing them to drop them.

            "You track the trail of two young hobbits…" an old wise sounding voice came from the light. 

            "Yes," Phoenix said very eagerly.

            "They met someone they did not expect, if it means anything to you,"

            "Who are you?" Strider asked. The light slowly faded and a white staff crossed the face of its owner. "It cannot be." Strider said to himself in shock.

            "Gandalf," Gimli smiled.

            "Yes…Gandalf the Gray…" he replied as if he had just stumbled upon a long lost memory. "That was my name. I am Gandalf the White." 

            "How is this so?" Strider asked.

            "I fell threw fire, rain and to the last level of this earth. I fought the Balrog and defeated my enemy. Darkness came over me. I saw the stars where a day took as long as an age on earth. I felt life come back to me. I return to you now in your time of need," he carefully explained.

            "Pippin," Phoenix piped up. "You said that he and Merry met someone…where is he? Is he safe? Hurt?"

            "Phoenix," Gandalf said, looking at her. "Yes…" it was like he was trying to recall the hobbit that stood in front of him. "You are the one that is not of this world."

            "What? How did you know?"

            "You come from a different time…you're of the man race…not a hobbit," he had a look of curiosity. "You do not belong here."

            "I've been telling myself that since the day I woke up in Rivendell…" she looked down at her feet then up at Gandalf. "But I don't care about that anymore…I don't care how I got here…why I'm here or why I was changed to a hobbit. All I care about is where is Pippin?"

            "Fear not," He said. "He and Merry are safe. Come. We must ride to King Théoden." He put on a tattered gray cloak and led the company out of the dark woods back to the open field. The two horses were already waiting. Gandalf let out a long, almost mystical whistle. A moment later a white stallion began to approach from the distance.

            The stallion went right up to Gandalf. "It is a horse of _mearas_ if my eyes are not under a spell."

            "This is Shadowfax," Gandalf said petting the horse. "He is the lord of all horses, and a very dear friend."

            "He's beautiful," Phoenix said. Gandalf mounted Shadowfax, Legolas and Gimli got on their white horse and Strider and Phoenix got on the brown one. They three horses rode off towards Edoras to King Théoden.

            


	5. Longing

Chapter Five 

The three horses quickly approached Edoras where King Théoden resided. Phoenix peered over Strider's shoulder at the castle sitting on the hill. Behind it was along chain of mountains. She was sure the Fellowship probably trapped around it at one time. 

            Standing on the doorstep of the castle Phoenix could swear that she saw a woman in a white gown looking down at the three horses approaching. Moments later the woman disappeared. 

            The horses got closer to the castle and a flag of Edoras flew down from the doors. Strider looked at it momentarily before hopping off the horse. He helped Phoenix down and the five began up the long stone steps to the doors of the castle.

            Three or four gaurs came out of the doors. "You are not welcome here." One of them said.

            "We are friends of the king," Gandalf said.

            The guard paused a moment. "Very well, but I must take your weapons."

            Strider nodded and they began taking the weapons from their belts. Legolas took out his knives, and precious bow, handing them to a guard. Strider gave up his sword, along with Phoenix. Gimli looked at his sword sadly before giving it away. Gandalf gave his sword as well. "Your staff." The guard said.

            "You wouldn't…part an old man from his walking stick, would you?" Gandalf held on to his staff. The guard nodded that they could pass, and Gandalf could keep his 'walking stick.'

            They entered the castle. The king sat on a chair at the end of a red carpet. He had long hair that covered his messy face. His nails were over grown and his eyes seemed to be completely white, totally absent of color. Guards stood in various places. An ugly man dressed in black leered over the king. "What…are you…doing here?" the king mumbled.

            "An _excellent_ question, sir," the ugly man asked.

            Gandalf approached the king. He took his cloak off and the ugly man saw that Gandalf the Gray was no longer Gandalf the Gray but was no Gandalf the White. "His staff! I told you to get his staff!"

            The guards tried to get to Gandalf but Strider, Gimli, Legolas and Phoenix held the off. Well Phoenix tried to. She went to kick one of the guards but he simply picked her up. He held her by the waist but she kicked and punched the man.

            Gandalf and Théoden exchanged words but they were not the words from Théoden. Saruman was controlling him. Phoenix didn't pick up what was being said until Théoden said, "If I go, so does he." At that moment everyone seemed to pause. Legolas took this opportunity to punch the guard that held Phoenix in the face. He caught her before she hit the ground.

            "Thanks," she said. They watched Gandalf expel Saruman from Théoden's body. A woman, the one who was on the ledge, came running into the room. Strider took hold of her before she could interrupt. 

            Théoden began to change. His age seem to rewind. He looked at his hands. "A king would know the strength in his hands." Théoden took hold of his sword.

*                                              *                                              *

            "Gandalf said to keep you safe…and safe you shall be…" Treebeard said to the hobbits.

            Merry and Pippin looked at the scenery behind them. They were sitting on the branches on top of Treebeard's head. Pippin was sitting higher up than Merry. Both were griping to bits and pieces of bark. 

            They saw the vast background of the lush forest and green mountains. Every now and again were birds fluttering by or a small stream of fire coming from a human camp. P

            Pippin took in a deep breath of the fresh air. Now that he wasn't being dragged about and tortured by Orcs he could now enjoy the beauty of nature around him. He missed it so much. Being out in the open brought back so many memories of his child hood in the safe arms of the Shire. He smiled back at the memory that started to come to his mind.

_            They had been drinking most of the night. Hell they were always drinking. Frodo was ordering drinks for his table. Merry and Pippin were standing on one of the tables, each holding a half empty mug of beer._

_            "Hey! Ho! To the bottle I go heal my heart and drown my woe, rain may fall and wind may blow but there still may be…many miles to go!" almost the entire tavern was singing along with the two drunken Hobbits. "Sweet is the sound of the pouring rain and the stream that leaps from hill to plain. Better than rain or rippling brook-"_

_            Pippin took a quick drink from his mug and finished out the song "Is a mug of beer inside the Took!"_

_            The tavern laughed along with the young hobbits._

            Pippin shook his head, fading the memory. That had been the last time that he had been among the company of many a hobbit before the journey. It was the last time that he saw home. 

            Then he left and…Phoenix. He missed her terribly. At every moment he could feel her body pressed to his and her lips on his. 

            "Pippin!" Merry slapped his leg.

            "What?"

            "Just making sure you're still awake. You've been staring off for quite sometime,"

            "Just tired," Pippin replied.

            "You miss her?"

            Pippin was shocked. He knew that Merry wasn't fond Phoenix, especially after the two of the fist fought over it. "Of course I miss her…" 

            They left the conversation at that. Merry didn't like bringing her up and Pippin wasn't comfortable about talking about the fight they had. He went back to gaze at the forest. 

*                                              *                                              *

            Phoenix stood on the ledge of the castle watching Gandalf and King Théoden in the distance while the king was under Saruman's spell, his only son and heir had been killed. He was now burying him in the family plot.

            She couldn't see much but she saw Gandalf and the King talking. Théoden held his hand to his face. Phoenix guessed he was crying.

            "What are you watching?" she heard a voice ask. She turned to see Legolas approaching. Once he stood with her he was a towering three feet taller.

            "Just out there. Thinking,"

            "It must be a terrible burden to have to bury one's child," he mused.

            "Elves are immortal right?"

            "Yes," he replied.

            "What's it like living for thousands of years and seeing all of this? All the death and pain?"

            Legolas deeply sighed. "Words cannot describe it. But life isn't all loss and death?"

            "Prove it," she said. She looked up at him with tears balancing in her eyes. She held a white flower in her hand with a tight grip. She loosened it and let the wind blow it away.


End file.
